THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 31

VERSES 301 TO 310

  âôÆóèéë      Avoidance   of   Anger
   
âòùªù¨ìêÐÊæР æèçªçè䪠 ò¨ä§ªæèçªçè䪠 íùªù¨ìêÐÊæР   301
æèæÐæ¨äª   ö䪠  æèôèæÐæèùª   öäª
 
âòùª    ¬ìêÐÊ        in places where fruitful
æèçªçè䪠              controller of
ò¨ä몠                    anger
æèçªçè䪠              protector
íùª   ¬ìêÐÊ        in other places
æèæÐæ¨äª    ö䪠       what if controlled
æèôèæÐæèùª           if not controlled
ö䪠                      what
 
He   who   controls   anger   even   where   it   will   be   effective will   be   protected   by   compassion.   Of   what   use   then   is anger,   whether   it   is   effective   or   not   (301).    
âòùªùè   ¬ìêÐÊòР  ò¨äåÐê©Ê   âòùªù¨ìêÐÊ몠   302
¬ùªùêä¨äª   ê©á   ç¨÷
 
âòùªùè                 not effective
¬ìêÐÊ                  where it is
ò¨ä몠                    anger
ê©Ê                        evil
âòùªù¨ìêÐÊ몠      even where it is effective
¬ùª   íêä¨äª       nothing greater than that
ê©á                        evil
ç¨÷                        other
 
Anger   against   the   weak   brings   greater   harm   than   anger against   the   strong   (302).    
ë÷êÐêùª   âôÆó¨éá   áèõÐëèìÌ몠  ê©á   303
ç¨÷êÐêùª   íêäèùª   ôÕëª
 
ë÷êÐêùª                  one should forget
âôÆó¨éá             ire
áèõР   ëèìªÌ몠      with all
ê©á                         evil
ç¨÷êÐêùª                 rise of
íêäèùª                due to that
ôÕ몠                    will ensue
 
Anger   towards   anyone   should   be   eschewed   as   it   brings evil   consequences   (303).    
åéæ±ëª   ãôéæ±ëª   âæèùªÙ¢ª   ò¨äêÐê¨äª    304
çéæ±ëª   ãóîôè   ç¨÷
 
åéæ±ëª          smile
ãôéæ±ëª       inner happiness
âæèùªÙ몠      destroying
ò¨äêÐê¨äª         than anger
çéæ±ë          enmity
ãóîôè          is there
ç¨÷                  other
 
Can   there   be   anything   worse   than   anger   that   destroys   joy
on   the   face   and   in   the   mind   ?(304)    
êäªéäêÐêè䪠  æèæÐæ¨äª   ò¨ä§ªæèæÐæ   æèôèæÐæèùª  305
êäªéäîá   âæèùªÙ¢ª   ò¨äëª
 
êäªéä             oneself
êè䪠                one
æèæÐæ¨äª             if desirous of saving
ò¨ä몠                anger
æèæÐæ                 should be controlled
æèôèæÐæèùª       if not controlled
êäªéäîá         oneself
âæèùªÙ몠        will destroy
ò¨ä몠               anger
 
He   who   does   not   guard   against   his   own   anger   will be   destroyed   by   it   (305).    
ò¨äâëäªÄ몠  îòõÐåÐêèéõæР  âæèùªù¨   ¬äâëäªÄ몠   306
Öë窠  µéúéáòР  àÌëª
 
ò¨ä몠                              anger
öäªÄ몠                           that which is known as
îòõÐåÐêèéõ    âæèùªù¨       its fire
¬ä몠  öäªÄ몠              kinsmen
Öë몠                               pleasant
µ  éúéá raft of
àÌ몠                               will burn
 
Anger   will   destroy   not   only   the   person   who   gives   vent   to   it, but   all   the   raft of well-wishers   as   well   (306).    
ò¨äêÐéê窠  âçèÕâóäª×   âæèúªìô䪠  îæÌ   307
å¨ùêÐêé÷åÐêè䪠  éæç¨éÈáè   ê÷ª×
 
ò¨äêÐéê                   anger
âçèÕóª    öäª×       worthwhile
âæèúªìô䪠           whoever considers
îæÌ                         damage
å¨ùêÐÊ                      on the earth
íé÷åÐêè䪠             beating
éæ   ç¨éÈáèÊ        with no exception of injuring his hand
í÷ª×                       like
 
He   who   considers   anger   worthwhile   is   like   the   one who   injures   his   hand   unexceptionally   on   beating   the   earth     (307).    
¬úâõõ¨   îêèáªôäªä   ¬äªäè   âòá¨Ä몠   308
  µúõ¨äª   âôÆóèéë   åäª×
 
¬úõР   öõ¨               fire with multiple tongues
îêè᪲    íäªä       causing harm continuously
âòá¨Ä몠                even if they cause
µúõ¨äª                    as far as possible
âôÆóèéë             avoiding anger
åäª×                       is good
 
It   will   be   well,   if   possible,   to   restrain   one's   anger   even
against   one   who   has   caused   harm   like   a   raging   fire   (308).    
ãóªó¨á   âêùªùè몠  ãìâäáªÊ몠  ãóªóêÐêèùª  309
ãóªóè䪠  âôÆó¨   âáä¨äª
 
ãóªó¨áÊ    öùªùè몠      all that one thinks
ãì䪠   öáªÊ몠              will achieve at once
ãóªóêÐêèùª                    mentally
ãóªóè䪠                       one will not think
âôÆó¨                          of anger
öä¨äª                            if
 
The   person   in   whose   thoughts   anger   does   not   figure will   at   once   get   all   that   he   seeks   (309).    
¬÷åÐêèõР  ¬÷åÐêè   õéäáõР  ò¨äêÐéêêР   310
Ê÷åÐêèõР  Ê÷åÐêèõР  Êéú
 
¬÷åÐêèõР                       one full of ire
¬÷åÐêèõР   íéäáõР      is akin to the dead
ò¨äêÐéê    Ê÷åÐêèõР        one who has abjured anger
Ê÷åÐêèõР   Êéú             is akin to an ascetic
 
Those   who   give   in   to   anger   are   as   good   as   dead,   but   they
who   conquer   anger   are   on   par   with   ascetics   (310).
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